Necromancer's Curse

by D. M. Almond

  Corbin shook his head. “Bipp’s uncovered all he’s going to about the Necromancer, and none of it even mentions the barrier. I think we all agree it’s safe to assume Hublin was not behind erecting it.

  “And too much time is passing,” he continued. “We need to get in, figure out how to get this barrier down, and find the Healer’s stone. The people of Fal are depending on us.”

  Logan pursed his lips and nodded.

  The companions resumed their forward march, wary that each small window dotting the aerie might hold a cobold keeping watch for invaders.

  The bridge was mighty, with arched abutments larger than a house. Weeds took root around sections of moss that had clung to the skeletal remains of human and gnome warriors fallen in battle, and vines curled around its rails.

  Not for the first time, Logan wondered how anyone could build such a thing that could withstand the ages. He tried to picture Ul’kor in its heyday, the epicenter of all civilization in the underground lands of Vanidriell. Back then, the destroyed section of the city they had passed through to get here would have served as a massive bazaar, where gnomes and humans from all corners of the land came to trade their goods. Some of the more wealthy merchants would be allowed to make the trip across this white stone bridge with their carts and supplies to deliver goods to the workshops located inside the aerie.

  How many gnomes had lived inside the great hulking stone column? How many above in the once majestic city of Ul’kor?

  As Logan thought these things, he caught the worried look on Bipp’s face. The gnome was rubbing his bulbous nose absentmindedly while staring at the statues that stood on either side of the bridge. Twin rows of gnome mages watched and welcomed all visitors.

  Logan gave Bipp a pat on the back, startling him. “Hey, relax,” he said. “They’re not going to bite.”

  Bipp’s cheeks turned red and he scowled. “I know that. Can’t a fella appreciate the handiwork of his ancestors?”

  “Better get a good look then, before Logan decides to blow up another bridge,” Corbin whispered.

  Logan could not help joining them in a snicker, earning a dark look from Isaac, who shushed them. “We are almost at the gates. Do you want to alert the whole tribe we are coming?”

  Logan nodded and sobered up. The gates, as Isaac referred to them, was actually a looming entrance that came to a point at its top, with no doors attached to it. If any cobolds stood inside, they would be completely invisible, hidden in the shadows, while the companions were completely exposed.

  Corbin must have seen his thoughts and shook his head. “There’s none inside the main hall.”

  They marched into the building, weapons drawn and heads held high, alert and ready for what might come next. The place was dank, the air heavy and musty. Thick, carved brownstone totem poles, depicting all manner of animals stacked on top of each other, supported the weight of the main corridor. Some of the faces had worn away ages ago, and some of the totems lay on the ground, eyes staring up at them. Last time they came to the aerie, it had been quiet as a tomb. This time they could hear cobolds moving and speaking all around them.

  “This is not going to be as easy as last time,” Corbin whispered.

  Bipp snorted. “Last time was easy?”

  Corbin was scanning the area, trying to pick out a path that would get them safely past the cobolds without raising any alarms. He pointed to a far doorway, and they moved ahead.

  Gathering outside the broken door, Nero kept a lookout down the hall while Logan and Corbin stepped to either side of the entrance. The room was long, with connecting doors at either end that would lead to adjoining rooms along the main corridor. The place was in complete disarray from years of cobold abuse on top of the initial pillaging that had taken place when Ul’kor fell.

  Bipp scurried into the room, keeping low to the floor. He hid behind a broken sofa, its stuffing leaking out and fabric moldy. He lifted his fingers—one, two, four—there were four cobolds at the other end. He silently tapped his fist in the air, counting down the beats before waving for them to move.

  Corbin slid into the room with the grace of a seasoned hunter. He found a spot beside Bipp and reached out with his mind to plant the tiniest suggestion into one of the cobolds’ minds. As he worked on that, Bipp gave the signal again, and Logan crept into the room too. He quickly spotted a place where he could hide behind an overturned table with scorch marks on its top. Logan had barely made it behind the table when one of the cobolds loped into the long room, heading directly for their position.

  The feral little creature resembled a twisted version of a gnome, except with tufts of matted fur lining the backs of its arms and bare legs. While it might be the size and relative shape of a gnome, the cobold’s face was anything but, looking like a cross between a coyote and snake, with slits for eyes and rows of needle sharp fangs. Where other denizens of Vanidriell wore tunics and trousers, the cobolds settled for animal skins or furs, using bones as jewelry to hang around their necks or pierce their noses with.

  Logan pulled Gandiva back, readying to bash in the humanoid’s skull before it could reveal them. Corbin waved his arms, vigorously shaking his head. The cobold drifted past Logan, not even turning to gaze in his direction. It found a nook by the wall where soiled rags were piled up like a nest and lay down, wriggling around to get comfortable. Within seconds, the monster was asleep.

  “It has a good idea,” one of the cobolds mumbled in a daze as it too plodded into the room. In seconds, it too had settled in beside its mate, the two of them snoring loudly on the floor.

  “Maybe we joins them,” one of the remaining pair said.

  “And have Burgoth find out?” His partner snorted, shaking his head. “I’d rather keep my head.”

  The first cobold gulped and nodded, rubbing his furry throat. Corbin sighed and signaled for them to go at the monsters from both sides, stressing not to use lethal force. Logan emerged from his hiding spot and let Gandiva fly. The boomerang whistled through the air, twisting sideways so that the blade did not sever the cobold’s head when it connected. As it crumpled to the floor unconscious, its partner did not even have a chance to cry out before Corbin came up from behind. He wrapped his arm around the humanoid’s hairy neck and cut off its airflow. Within moments, the monster’s weapon clattered to the stone floor as it too passed out. Corbin carefully laid the cobold on the floor.

  “I don’t like the idea of leaving witnesses behind. Why didn’t we just kill them?” Logan asked while Bipp motioned for Isaac and Nero to join them from the hallway.

  Crouching, Corbin closed his eyes and pressed an open palm against the fallen cobold’s forehead.

  “What’s he doing?” Logan asked Isaac, who had come across the long room.

  “Your brother is planting a false memory, a delusion of sorts, so that the beasts do not remember ever having seen you.”

  “He can do that?” Logan asked. Corbin was already finishing up with the second monster and opened his eyes. “You can do that?”

  Corbin bowed his head. “It depends on many variables, and the element of surprise helps. The only thing these two will remember is that they were really tired and decided to take a break.”

  Bipp whistled, just as impressed as Logan at how far Corbin’s skills had come.

  “Of course, it will be better for us if we avoid these scenarios completely,” Isaac said. “They pose too much risk, and all it takes is one of the cobolds resisting your mental suggestion for us to be found out.”

  “Agreed,” Corbin said.

  They made their way into the adjoining room and travelled like that for long hours, creeping in the shadows, sneaking past cobold sentries and nests where scores of the humanoids swarmed to eat rat meat or rest in squalor. It had been slow traveling last time they made their way through the aerie, but that was nothing compared to this pace.

  Peering into the cobolds’ minds, Corbin was able to divine much, which he shared with his companions. The new lea
der of the cobolds was tenacious about having them keep watch. She insisted that other invaders could come along and was not about to meet them unawares as did her predecessor. And so, whereas before the bulk of the cobold tribe lived in the city atop the aerie, more than half their ranks had moved into the pillar itself. Logan could only thank the gods that the humanoids were not adept at setting up a stronghold. They were too simple-minded for such lofty stratagems.

  Up and up they traveled, ascending spiral stairwells, slipping past groups of cobolds, putting others to sleep, and avoiding absolute peril with each turn. Finally they came to the top floor, where the stairwell opened onto the city of Ul’kor.

  Logan popped his head over the stone rail of the staircase, scanning the nearby area for signs of the monsters. At the base of the stairs below, a pair of cobolds snored loudly.

  “Don’t see anyone,” he whispered. “Uh oh, wait, there’s one in that window over there.”

  Bipp’s head joined his, and Corbin crouched in the stairwell to rub his temples. Bipp chuckled. “That’s not a cobold. It’s an old shirt.”

  “You sure?” Logan squinted, trying to make out the shirt.

  Corbin sighed and pulled himself to his feet. “Step aside so I can scan.”

  “You don’t look so good,” Logan said. His brother’s skin was flushed, and he had dark circles under his eyes.

  “He’s been using too much magic,” Isaac said.

  While Corbin pscionically searched the area for other sentient minds, Nero scanned his vitals. “Corbin is indeed in need of rest as well as sustenance.”

  “We can rest after we get to a safe location,” Corbin mumbled. “Logan’s half right, there is a cobold up there in that window. In fact, there are at least a dozen of them down this street. The only problem is they’re all dead.”

  “Dead?”

  Corbin nodded weakly. “Someone’s propped them up to look like they’re keeping watch, but the street’s mostly deserted, other than some rats having a meal.”

  Logan shuddered, realizing the movement he had thought was sleeping cobolds breathing was actually rodents gnawing on the dead bodies.

  “Guess these cobolds are more cunning than we initially thought,” Isaac brooded.

  “Didn’t stop us from climbing the aerie undetected,” Logan pointed out.

  “True,” Isaac said, “but from here on out, we prepare for the worst.”

  The streets of Ul’kor were silent. Stained glass-domed towers rose up over the myriad of tightly packed buildings that made up Ul’kor. If the idea of dead gnomes watching them from the grave were not unnerving enough, the ornate gargoyles lining random buildings did the trick, and they found themselves walking in silence.

  Logan scanned the empty windows on either side of the cobblestone streets, each one a portal into creeping shadow. His eyes worked hard to spot some sign of the feral cobolds, and he had to fight the urge to let Gandiva fly every time he caught sight of another propped body. It was actually ingenious of the cobolds. Any invaders who made it this far would see their ghastly scarecrows and take another route, which was sure to be filled with their living brethren. He shook his head. If they did not have Corbin’s psionic abilities to rely on, they would have fallen into the same trap.

  Corbin was moving at a sluggish pace and looked barely able to hold his head upright.

  “We better rest for the night,” Logan said.

  “Just a bit farther. The castle is not far,” Corbin said.

  “The castle’s on the other side of the city, a good mile from here, at least,” Logan said.

  “You always want to rest,” Corbin grumbled.

  Logan smirked, taking it in stride. “No need to get petty. You’re dragging your heels and look fit to pass out. I think if we head this way, we can find that alleyway we rested in last time.”

  “Over my dead body,” Bipp croaked. “Damned bonestalkers,” he added under his breath.

  Logan had almost entirely blocked the last time they were here from his memory, when that ghastly horror had tried to pull Bipp into the recessed wall.

  “You see? It’s too dangerous to stop now,” Corbin said.

  “Stop playing a fool,” Isaac said. “It doesn’t suit you very well. Your brother is right, you need to rest and replenish your energy. That building looks like a good place to hole up. Let’s be on our way.”

  The door was locked, so they had to enter the dark building through an open window. The glass was already shattered, and Logan finished the job, clearing away the remaining shards with his mechanical hand. Bipp climbed inside, rolling over the cold countertop on the other side and unlocking the front door for the others.

  Isaac suggested they stay on the first floor in case they had to take flight. He reasoned it would be easier to sneak out a back window than jump from the second floor.

  Despite all his contention, Corbin fell fast asleep after eating a handful of dried apricots and jerky. They did not light a fire, fearing a passerby might see it or that the smoke would draw unwanted attention. Isaac meditated for a bit and then fell asleep, with Bipp sleeping propped against the wall beside him, clutching Hublin’s journal to his chest.

  Logan had been waiting for a chance such as this. He plopped himself down beside Nero. “So, Nero…how are you?”

  “Same as I ever am,” Nero replied.

  “We never had a chance to speak after all that commotion on the path by the Green Serpent,” Logan continued undeterred.

  “What more can there be to discuss?” Nero asked. “I have admitted that I dream, and you have agreed not to tell my makers.”

  “Yes, but….” Logan paused, trying to find the right words. “It’s just that I still don’t understand. Why is it against the law for you to dream?”

  “Mankind’s fear. They created me to serve. If I did not abide by the tenants of my creation, the humans fear that I could turn on them. Androids are created to blindly serve. The idea that we could have free thought is too much for some to handle.”

  “But you do,” Logan said.

  “What?”

  “Have free thought.”

  Nero shook his head. “Not in the way you mean.”

  “But you do think for yourself, which means you are alive,” Logan said.

  “It is difficult to explain. When I was created, I was programmed with a complex algorithm to solve problems through analyzing all given variables against my knowledge base and forming the best possible solution.”

  “Sounds like free thought to me.”

  “It’s not free thought, it’s logic and data.”

  “So what about the time you drank Seti’s poison and fooled the Agmawor? Was that preprogrammed into your brain?”

  “No. That was a byproduct of analyzing the available data and reacting.”

  “So…using your experiences to figure out a way out of a mess?” Logan said.

  “Exactly.”

  “Right, sounds like the human condition, if you ask me,” Logan said.

  Nero paused, staring at the open air in thought. He shook his head. “I understand you want me to be real, not just some machine, as you call it. You call me a friend, though I am not. I am just a tool for your race, a clever imitation.”

  “Bollocks,” Logan said. “I’ve seen the way you react to things. I saw how scared you were to die. I watched when you celebrated our victory in Belikar. I saw you when Grog threw me off that cliff. You looked positively terrified. Are you telling me those reactions are nothing more than a series of commands someone built in you?”

  Nero looked broken, unsure what his next move might be. “Those were…anomalies. I cannot explain how they occur. They are…an unknown.”

  Logan nodded, satisfied. “Right, because you are alive. Maybe it’s different than me or Bipp, but it’s real and pure…and I accept it.” Clapping Nero’s shoulder, he turned to lie down and close his eyes. “You have first watch tonight.”

  Nero sat open-mouthed through the later hou
rs, trying to comprehend how Logan Walker could be so right.

  “Logan, wake up,” Corbin said, nudging his shoulder.

  Logan eyes popped open to find his brother crouching over him. Isaac and Bipp were by a window, carefully staying out of sight while peering through the glass.

  “What’s going on?” Logan asked, trying to shake off the grogginess clouding his mind.

  “Cobolds,” Corbin whispered. “At least twenty of them.”

  Logan sat bolt upright, pulling Gandiva from his belt, “Where?”

  “Just outside,” Corbin said. “Isaac thinks they may have stumbled across our tracks. He and Bipp are trying to come up with a plan.”

  Logan crawled on hands and knees over to the adjacent window, trying to get a peek outside without being seen. The narrow alleyway obscured his view of the street, but he caught movement as a pair of cobolds passed by the entrance of it.

  “Do they know we’re in here?” he asked over his shoulder.

  “Not yet,” Isaac said. “They’re examining the ground.”

  “Did we leave tracks?” Logan asked. “It’s all cobblestone.”

  “Even in these ruins I could track a wild boar,” Corbin whispered.

  Bipp’s belly grumbled loudly. “Fat chance getting one of them around here. Best Ul’kor has to offer is a few rats.” Bipp snatched the tail of one of the rodents as it scuttled by, lifting it in the air while wrinkling his nose.

  Isaac’s eyes gleamed. “Not bad at all, my little friend. Give her here.” He took the rodent from Bipp, cupping it in his hands. “Corbin, I’ve an idea.”

  The cobolds spread out in packs of two and four, searching up and down nearby alleyways for some sign of the intruders that Brok was certain were here. Mulf felt like throttling his packmate. The fool was always riling up the watch over nothing, something which almost always ended with them being on Shaman Burgoth’s bad side.

  “Let’s just go back to our posts before she notices we’re gone,” Mulf grumbled.